ateful feeling of
relief and security than when he found himself once more high in the
air, alone, and in undisputed possession of the electrical devices
bestowed upon him by the Demon.

The dangers he had passed through since landing at the city of the
desert and the desperate chance that alone had permitted him to regain
the traveling machine made him shudder at the bare recollection and
rendered him more sober and thoughtful than usual.

We who stick closely to the earth's surface can scarcely realize how
Rob could travel through the air at such dizzy heights without any fear
or concern whatsoever. But he had come to consider the air a veritable
refuge. Experience had given him implicit confidence in the powers of
the electrical instrument whose unseen forces carried him so swiftly
and surely, and while the tiny, watch-like machine was clasped to his
wrist he felt himself to be absolutely safe.

Having slipped away from the Turk and attained a fair altitude, he set
the indicator at zero and paused long enough to consult his map and
decide what direction it was best for him to take. The mischance that
had swept him unwittingly over the countries of Europe had also carried
him more than half way around the world from his home. Therefore the
nearest way to reach America would be to continue traveling to the
eastward.

So much time had been consumed at the desert oasis that he felt he must
now hasten if he wished to reach home by Saturday afternoon; so, having
quickly come to a decision, he turned the indicator and began a swift
flight into the east.

For several hours he traveled above the great desert of Gobi, but by
noon signs of a more fertile country began to appear, and, dropping to
a point nearer the earth, he was able to observe closely the country of
the Chinese, with its crowded population and ancient but crude
civilization.

Then he came to the Great Wall of China and to mighty Peking, above
which he hovered some time, examining it curiously. He really longed
to make a stop there, but with his late experiences fresh in his mind
he thought it much safer to view the wonderful city from a distance.

Resuming his flight he presently came to the gulf of Laou Tong, whose
fair face was freckled with many ships of many nations, and so on to
Korea, which seemed to him a land fully a century behind the times.

Night overtook him while speeding across the Sea of Japan, and having a
great desire to view the